Fruit-can wrench



(No Model.)

J. H. DEAN.

FRUIT CAN WRENCH.

. N0. 492,714. w Patented Feb. '28, 1893.

, I I BJ M 5% W/ wa ATTORNEY.

iUNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

JOHN H. DEAN, OF'GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

FRUIT-CAN WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,714, dated February 28, 1893. Application filed May 4, 1892. Serial No. 431,806. (No model.)

provide a wrench with which the danger of puncturing the can lid is wholly averted; and, second, to provide a fruit can wrench that will exert an equal pressure entirely around the lid, regardless of the direction that it is to be turned. I attain these results by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1. is a plan of my wrench encompassing a can lid; and Fig. 2. is a side view of the wrench.

Similar letters refer to si milar parts th roughout both the views.

In constructing my wrench I provide a wire body B of a proper size and form to encircle the top of the lid A, leaving a space between the ends of the wire; the ends being thrown down, and the extreme ends turned up to pass through the handle 0, a short distance outside of the circumferential line of the body, as shown at b, Fig. 2. to form a fulcrum to support the levers and transmit the force exercised upon the handles, to the points D and force them solidly against the periphery of the cover. I find it advantageous to make the point of connection between the lovers and the body of the wrench some little distance back from the line of the periphery of the lid so that pressing the levers upon the lid to screw on, or unscrew the same, will: first, draw the body of the wrench snugly against the periphery of the cover its entire bearing distance; and, second, will cause the shorter end of the levers to press upon the cover their entire length, and thus insure a substantial bearing thereon. I use two of these levers upon each wrench each formed with a long handle 0 a short projection D standing out nearly at right angles with the stand exactly in line with the body of the wrench I throw the ends of the body down, as hereinbefore described, and make the portion of the handle immediately adjacent thereto thin, and form walls 0' thereon that will strike upon the body, when not applied to a cover, and prevent the handle from falling over far enough to become inconvenient to handle, and form apertures through the ends of the levers, through which the ends of the body are passed and riveted as at c.

I make the handles of the same form on both sides so that they are interchangeable, thus averting the necessity of keeping the handles for each side separate when putting the wrenches together when manufacturing them.

To use this wrench, place the body around the cover, or lid, in the groove near the top, press the handles 0 0 together and exert force in the direction it is desired to turn the lid; and to remove the wrench, allow the levers to drop back to the positions indicated by the dotted lines 0 which will throw the points d. away from the cover and allow the wrench to be readily disengaged from the cover.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The combination in a can wrench, of awire body, levers pivotally connected with the ends of said body in direct line therewith at some distance back from the inner end of the levers, right angle projections upon the inner ends of the levers in line with the body and formed to fit upon the periphery of the can cover, and notches O in the levers to prevent them from falling out of position substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 29th day of April, A. D. 1892. 1

JOHN H. DEAN.

In presence of- EARL OILLEY, ITHIEL J OILLEY. 

